Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and a device for processing information. It applies, in particular, to the processing of image information and, particularly, computer graphics.
Technological Background
Computer graphics (also incorrectly called “image synthesis”) is the art of digital imaging. It defines graphics generated and managed by computer, where the management is based on graphical workstations, acquisition tools such as digitizers or animation cameras, manipulation tools such as the mouse or graphics tablets. It also includes storage tools and display tools, a user interface that enables interaction between the user and the computer, and the data format that provides the linkage between the rendered image and its digital elements.
The computer graphics designer (or CG artist) is a person who masters work on images (2D, 3D, CAP software, web, etc.). He is an image and computer specialist. He uses special software systems for defining the layout, retouching photos and images, vector drawing, creating a website, etc.
In 2D computer graphics, the images are created by techniques working directly on the two dimensions of the image, either:                by creating shapes from scratch (design, painting, etc.);        by various algorithmic processes (fractal images); or        by image processing, i.e. modifying the properties of each pixel of a source image (photographic or drawn, etc.). These modifications can concern the dimensions of the shapes, their luminance, their color. In particular they pass through a certain number of filters (mathematical operations), the basics of which emerged with Photoshop (registered trademark).        
In 3D computer graphics, the images are created according to the following main creation steps:                modeling objects of the scene in three dimensions;        positioning the camera and target, and their trajectory;        positioning and adjusting the lighting;        creating and setting textures;        selecting the rendering mode; and        calculating the images.        
3D image synthesis basically consists of two steps:                modeling what one wants to view or represent. This step is called “modeling”; and        viewing what has been modeled. This step is called “rendering”.        
Modeling consists of having the computer store a set of geometric data and graphical characteristics allowing the model to be represented subsequently. This model is usually called the 3D scene.
Rendering is a phase that consists of transforming the 3D space into a 2D image. The rendering is generated by a program or programs, called the 3D rendering engine, built into the modeling software or not.
Rendering consists of several phases:                calculating the lighting (referred to as “illumination”);        projecting onto the observation plane; and        the drawing itself, possibly with texture mapping.        
Additional texture mapping techniques are used for rendering more realistic effects without making the 3D models more complex.
Currently, the 2D computer graphics process is integrated or interactive, in the sense that the computer graphics designer can view the image during realization. In contrast, the successive steps of the 3D computer graphics process, which require a lot of resources, mean that the image cannot be viewed in real time during realization.
During the course of a project, for example producing an animation, the computer graphics designer generates thousands of objects and files. In fact, each image may need to be represented by a specific object. He must therefore organize these objects in order to retrieve them rapidly, especially when they have to be edited.
The richer the synthesis images, the more complex the 3D scenes that describe them are, since they are composed of a very large number of objects manipulated by the user. An image synthesis software system can generate several images in parallel and therefore many more objects than other 3D software systems.
This therefore raises the problem of individually or simultaneously organizing, selecting and manipulating the thousands of objects contained in the sessions of the software system utilizing each of the methods that are the subjects of the present invention.
No automation capable of helping in this time-consuming task is known.